EXPOSITORY ESSAY

The expository essay is a genre of essay that requires the student to

investigate an idea, evaluate evidence, expound on the idea, and set forth
an argument concerning that idea in a clear and concise manner. This can be
accomplished through comparison and contrast, definition, example, the
analysis of cause and effect, etc.
Please note: This genre is commonly assigned as a tool for classroom
evaluation and is often found in various exam formats.
The structure of the expository essay is held together by the following.

A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first
paragraph of the essay.
It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow
the guidelines set forth in the assignment. If the student does not master
this portion of the essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an effective or
persuasive essay.

Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and

conclusion.
Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the essay together.
Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the
essays argument, and the structure will collapse.

Body paragraphs that include evidential support.

Each paragraph should be limited to the exposition of one general idea. This
will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. What is more, such
conciseness creates an ease of readability for ones audience. It is important
to note that each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical
connection to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph.

Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal).

Often times, students are required to write expository essays with little or no
preparation; therefore, such essays do not typically allow for a great deal of
statistical or factual evidence.

A bit of creativity!

Though creativity and artfulness are not always associated with essay
writing, it is an art form nonetheless. Try not to get stuck on the formulaic
nature of expository writing at the expense of writing something interesting.
Remember, though you may not be crafting the next great novel, you are
attempting to leave a lasting impression on the people evaluating your
essay.

A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it
in light of the evidence provided.
It is at this point of the essay that students will inevitably begin to struggle.
This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate
impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and
logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather,

synthesize and come to a conclusion concerning the information presented in

the body of the essay.
A complete argument
Perhaps it is helpful to think of an essay in terms of a conversation or debate
with a classmate. If I were to discuss the cause of the Great Depression and
its current effect on those who lived through the tumultuous time, there
would be a beginning, middle, and end to the conversation. In fact, if I were
to end the exposition in the middle of my second point, questions would
arise concerning the current effects on those who lived through the
Depression. Therefore, the expository essay must be complete, and logically
so, leaving no doubt as to its intent or argument.
The five-paragraph Essay
A common method for writing an expository essay is the five-paragraph
approach. This is, however, by no means the only formula for writing such
essays. If it sounds straightforward, that is because it is; in fact, the method
consists of:
1.

an introductory paragraph

2.

three evidentiary body paragraphs

3.

a conclusion

Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/02/

LITERARY ESSAY
Like opinion pieces, literary essays are written to inform the reader while
sometimes delivering a message; unlike opinion pieces, literary essays are
not designed to persuade, although affecting the way people think is often a
by-product whenever information and ideas are imparted. Literary essays are
also distinguishable from opinion pieces by their length, which may be as
long as 8,000 words.
Although literary essays may involve an individual experience and dwell
upon personal reflections similar to personal essays, the focal point of
literary essays is the subject of the essay and not the writer. What also
makes the literary essay stand apart from all other forms of nonfiction
including personal and opinion essays is that the writing must demonstrate a
convincing command of writing techniques and evince a sense of language.
In other words, they must be well written.
The Subject
The wonderful thing about literary essays is that you can pick any topic you
desire to serve as the centerpiece of your essay. The subject may be very
explicit, such as a particular species of butterfly, or the topic may be more
general, such as describing a city. The important thing is that regardless of
how expansive or narrow the topic, your literary essay must appeal to a wide
audience and preferably deliver a message that addresses many readers.
You need not limit yourself to one subject in a literary essay; it is possible to
write about two subjects. Often when doing this, one of the subjects is a

personal experience or consists of personal reflections. When you do write

about two subjects, you need to make certain they come together by the end
of the essay.
Deciding upon the topic of your literary essay is half the fun. You can write
about anything at all, choosing something that has always interested you
that you want to study further or a subject that you have only recently been
intrigued by and now want to explore. What is more, the venue for your
search is everywhere and anywhere. You can surf the Internet, peruse the
shelves of a library or bookstore, read articles in magazines and newspapers,
or just consider the world around you.
What is critical in composing a respectable literary essay is that once you
select your subject, you know the standards and writing techniques that is
expected in the genre. If you simply convey information, then you have
written an article; if you instruct in a didactic manner, you have written a
scholarly piece. And while there is nothing wrong with either genres, it does
not make for a literary essay.
Source: http://www.netplaces.com/writing-nonfiction/the-literary-essay/whatis-a-literary-essay.htm

RESEARCH PAPER (ESSAY)

"Research paper." What image comes into mind as you hear those words:
working with stacks of articles and books, hunting the "treasure" of others'
thoughts? Whatever image you create, it's a sure bet that you're envisioning
sources of information--articles, books, people, artworks. Yet a research
paper is more than the sum of your sources, more than a collection of
different pieces of information about a topic, and more than a review of the
literature in a field. A research paper analyzes a perspective or argues a
point. Regardless of the type of research paper you are writing, your finished
research paper should present your own thinking backed up by others' ideas
and information.

To draw a parallel, a lawyer researches and reads about many cases and
uses them to support their own case. A scientist reads many case studies to
support an idea about a scientific principle. In the same way, a history
student writing about the Vietnam War might read newspaper articles and
books and interview veterans to develop and/or confirm a viewpoint and
support it with evidence.

A research paper is an expanded essay that presents your own interpretation

or evaluation or argument. When you write an essay, you use everything
that you personally know and have thought about a subject. When you write
a research paper you build upon what you know about the subject and make
a deliberate attempt to find out what experts know. A research paper
involves surveying a field of knowledge in order to find the best possible
information in that field. And that survey can be orderly and focused, if you
know how to approach it. Don't worry--you won't get lost in a sea of sources.

In fact, this guide is designed to help you navigate the research voyage,
through developing a research question and thesis, doing the research,
writing the paper, and correctly documenting your sources.

Source: http://www.esc.edu/online-writingcenter/resources/research/research-paper/

INFORMAL ESSAY
The informal essay is written mainly for enjoyment. This is not to say that it
cannot be informative or persuasive; however, it is less a formal statement
than a relaxed expression of opinion, observation, humor or pleasure. A good
informal essay has a relaxed style but retains a strong structure, though that
structure may be less rigid than in a formal paper.
The informal essay tends to be more personal than the formal, even though
both may express subjective opinions. In a formal essay the writer is a silent
presence behind the words, while in an informal essay the writer is speaking
directly to the reader in a conversational style. If you are writing informally,
try to maintain a sense of your own personality. Do not worry about sounding
academic, but avoid sloppiness.
The essay, which follows is an opinion piece that was written for The Globe
and Mail. The style is therefore journalistic but aimed at a fairly sophisticated
readership. Paragraphs are short, as is normal in a newspaper with its narrow
columns, and the tone is more conversational than would be appropriate for
a formal essay. Notice the clear statement of the thesis, the concrete
illustrations in the body of the essay, and the way the conclusion leads to a
more general statement of what is perhaps to come in the future. It is
included here both because it is a good example of the essay form and
because it explores the kind of problem you will come up against as you try
to punctuate your essays correctly.
Source: http://essayinfo.com/essays/informal_essay.php

REFLECTIVE ESSAYS
Ernest L. and Zac E., writing center tutors
Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to
your professor's specifications for a given assignment. If you have any
questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing
Centers so that we can address them for you.
A reflective essay is a form of writing that examines and observes the
progress of the writers individual experience. While reflective essays explain
and analyze the development of the writer, they also discuss future goals.
Reflective essays are often associated with academic portfolios and
especially writing portfolios. As part of a writing portfolio, reflective essays
will critically analyze your development as a student. This should include a

discussion of the strengths you have developed as a writer as well as your

weaknesses. Closely related to these weaknesses, writers could also discuss
how they plan to improve in the future. When writing a reflective essay, it is
important to use descriptive language. In doing so, your reader will
understand that you are familiar with the subject matter and that you have
thought critically about your development as a student. Reflective essays are
based upon your own experiences, so it is expected that you write about
yourself, your ideas, and your opinions. As a result, it is completely
acceptable to use first person pronouns such as I or me in these essays.
Since the reflective essay is built upon personal experience, the writer has
the liberty of being as creative as necessary. At the same time, do not let a
focus on creativity take precedence over the important task of proving to
your reader how you have grown as a student.
Structure
The structure of a reflective essay is very similar to the structure of most
academic writing. Unless you are trying to argue a point, position, or
perspective through your reflection, it is not required that your essay contain
a thesis statement. Reflective essays can be formatted in all writing styles,
including MLA, APA, and Chicago Style. A common structure for reflective
essays is as follows:
Introduction
Introductions to reflective essays do not need to be longer than one
paragraph in length. When writing an introduction, present the purpose of
your reflection without giving your reader too much detail about the body of
your paper. In the introduction, it is also helpful to tell your reader if you met
your goals or the goals of the class/project. Later, in the body of the
reflection, you can explain how these goals were or were not met in greater
detail. Think of the introduction as a brief preview to the rest of your
reflection.
Body
The body should discuss in detail your development as a student. For
instance, if writing a reflective essay at the end of the quarter for a certain
class, how did you grow over the course of the class? What have you
learned? Can you apply what you have learned to your future academic or
life pursuits? How did you or did you not meet your goals or the goals of the
class/project you were involved in? This is slightly different from what you
should discuss in your introduction. Do not just tell the reader whether or not
you met these goals. Rather, show the reader by using illustrations from
class or other relevant experiences. Are there any skills you can improve on?
If so, how do you plan on doing so in the future?
Conclusion
In the conclusion of a reflective essay, you should remind the reader of the
ways in which you have developed as a student. This may seem redundant
since you already discussed these things in detail in your essays body, but
remember that the conclusion is the last thing your audience will read. As a
result, leave no doubt in the readers mind that your essay clearly
demonstrates how you have grown.

Source:
http://condor.depaul.edu/writing/writers/Types_of_Writing/reflectiveessay.html

NARRATIVE ESSAY
Narrative essays are different from short stories, which are fictional; the
author is free to change the plot, add characters or rewrite the ending of a
short story to better fit a narrative arc. With a narrative essay, the author
must pull a cohesive narrative arc from her memory of true events. Narrative
essays must include a thesis statement and the essay is used to support this.
Short stories do not require a thesis statement.
Narrative essays often overlap with other forms of writing. Non-fiction
narrative essays are considered a form of creative non-fiction, a genre that
combines the truth-telling aspects of journalism with literary styles found in
traditional fiction. Memoirs are similar to narrative essays. An organized
collection of non-fiction narrative essays constitutes a memoir, but a single
non-fiction narrative essay cannot be considered such. An autobiography is
distinct from both a memoir and a narrative essay because it chronicles the
events of a person's entire lifetime, rather than focusing on specific
experiences.
Source: http://www.ask.com/education/narrative-essay-c153bd336208383c

DESCRIPTIVE ESSAY
The descriptive essay is a genre of essay that asks the student to describe
somethingobject, person, place, experience, emotion, situation, etc. This
genre encourages the students ability to create a written account of a
particular experience. What is more, this genre allows for a great deal of
artistic freedom (the goal of which is to paint an image that is vivid and
moving in the mind of the reader).
One might benefit from keeping in mind this simple maxim: If the reader is
unable to clearly form an impression of the thing that you are describing, try,
try again!
Here are some guidelines for writing a descriptive essay.

Take time to brainstorm

If your instructor asks you to describe your favorite food, make sure that you
jot down some ideas before you begin describing it. For instance, if you
choose pizza, you might start by writing down a few words: sauce, cheese,
crust, pepperoni, sausage, spices, hot, melted, etc. Once you have written
down some words, you can begin by compiling descriptive lists for each one.

Use clear and concise language.

This means that words are chosen carefully, particularly for their relevancy in
relation to that which you are intending to describe.

Choose vivid language.

Why use horse when you can choose stallion? Why not use tempestuous
instead of violent? Or why not miserly in place of cheap? Such choices form a
firmer image in the mind of the reader and often times offer nuanced
meanings that serve better ones purpose.

Use your senses!

Remember, if you are describing something, you need to be appealing to the

senses of the reader. Explain how the thing smelled, felt, sounded, tasted, or
looked. Embellish the moment with senses.

What were you thinking?!

If you can describe emotions or feelings related to your topic, you will
connect with the reader on a deeper level. Many have felt crushing loss in
their lives, or ecstatic joy, or mild complacency. Tap into this emotional
reservoir in order to achieve your full descriptive potential.

Leave the reader with a clear impression.

One of your goals is to evoke a strong sense of familiarity and appreciation in

the reader. If your reader can walk away from the essay craving the very
pizza you just described, you are on your way to writing effective descriptive
essays.

Be organized!

It is easy to fall into an incoherent rambling of emotions and senses when

writing a descriptive essay. However, you must strive to present an
organized and logical description if the reader is to come away from the
essay with a cogent sense of what it is you are attempting to describe.
Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/3/

SPECULATIVE ESSAY
Speculative essays are those that require creative, internal exploration about
a subject; you contemplate an idea, topic or theory. Typically, teachers give a
prompt using a subject, phrase or term, then students create an essay
according to the assignment parameters. Educators generally facilitate
speculative essay topics in different ways; art teachers use paintings or
photographs, and English teachers require students to write fictional stories,
for example. Speculative essays may be about any one of a broad range of
issues.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/info_10042709_speculative-essay-topics.html

CRITICAL ESSAY
The word "critical" has positive as well as negative meanings. You can write a
critical essay that agrees entirely with the reading. The word "critical"
describes your attitude when you read the article. This attitude is best
described as "detached evaluation," meaning that you weigh the coherence

of the reading, the completeness of its data, and so on, before you accept or
reject it.
A critical essay or review begins with an analysis or exposition of the reading,
article-by-article, book by book. Each analysis should include the following
points:
1. A summary of the author's point of view, including
a brief statement of the author's main idea (i.e., thesis or theme)
an outline of the important "facts" and lines of reasoning the author used to
support the main idea
a summary of the author's explicit or implied values
a presentation of the author's conclusion or suggestions for action
2. An evaluation of the author's work, including
an assessment of the "facts" presented on the basis of correctness,
relevance, and whether or not pertinent facts were omitted
an evaluation or judgment of the logical consistency of the author's
argument
an appraisal of the author's values in terms of how you feel or by an
accepted standard
Once the analysis is completed, check your work! Ask yourself, "Have I read
all the relevant (or assigned) material?" "Do I have complete citations?" If
not, complete the work! The following steps are how this is done.
Now you can start to write the first draft of your expository essay/literature
review. Outline the conflicting arguments, if any; this will be part of the body
of your expository essay/literature review.
Ask yourself, "Are there other possible positions on this matter?" If so, briefly
outline them. Decide on your own position (it may agree with one of the
competing arguments) and state explicitly the reason(s) why you hold that
position by outlining the consistent facts and showing the relative
insignificance of contrary facts. Coherently state your position by integrating
your evaluations of the works you read. This becomes your conclusions
section.
Source: http://essayinfo.com/essays/critical_essay.php

DEDUCTIVE ESSAY
Deductive essays are an important factor in evaluating the knowledge level
of students in many courses.
Deductive reasoning is based on the concept that given as set of
circumstances or clues (premises), one can draw a reasonable assumption as
to the state of the situation. More simply, a person can solve a puzzle or
identify a person if given enough information.
Specifically, deductive reasoning takes individual factors, weighs them
against the current knowledge about such things, and adds them up to come

to a conclusion. There are three parts to deductive reasoning. The first is the
PREMISE. A premise is a basic fact or belief that is used as the basis for
drawing conclusions. There may be several PREMISES in an argument. The
second part is called EVIDENCE. The evidence is the information you have
before you, whether it is a story you are analyzing or something you have
observed. The last part is the CONCLUSION. The conclusion is your final
analysis of the situation, based on balancing PREMISES with EVIDENCE. A
simplified example might be as follows:

premise: all dogs are animals

evidence: Fido is a dog

conclusion: Fido is an animal.

Source: http://essayinfo.com/essays/deductive_essay.php